Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Lockheed Martin to start $13 million Bloody Brook cleanup after years of delays

NYSYR-20140327-144039-Blood.JPG

A health advisory sign stands by Bloody Brook on Floradale Road in the town of Salina. Lockheed Martin Corp.'s cleanup of Bloody Brook, which has been stalled for more than three years, will begin soon, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
(Sarah Moses | smoses@syracuse.com)

Bloody Brook runs through residential and commercial property near Electronics Parkway in the town of Salina. Sarah Moses | smoses@syracuse.com

Town of Salina, NY -- Lockheed Martin Corp.'s cleanup of Bloody Brook in the town of Salina, which has been stalled for years, will begin soon, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

As part of the voluntary cleanup program with the DEC, the company will excavate about 34,000 tons of soil and 2,900 tons of sediment from the brook channel, side banks and residential areas from the Thruway to Onondaga Lake Parkway. The project will cost about $13 million and Lockheed Martin is funding the cleanup under the voluntary cleanup program, according to Rashi Ratan, a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin.

More than 1,000 samples taken from 1994 to 2007 showed cadmium concentrations in the soil and sediment of the brook's west branch. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry website, cadmium can cause kidney damage if swallowed.

The contaminated soil and the excavation project do not present a health risk to community, according to Lockheed Martin.

"Any potential exposure routes to cadmium in soil or sediment will not be accessible to the community," Ratan said. "In addition, a site health and safety plan and community air monitoring plan will be in place to ensure that both site workers, as well as the community, remain safe during construction activities."

The Bloody Brook site is a about 5,000-foot brook from the Thruway to the Onondaga Lake. The cleanup will focus on the west and middle branches of the brook, brook sediments, the banks of the brook, floodplain soils, a wetland area, a wooded area and soils associated with the former channel.

The site contamination is believed to have resulted from discharge to the West Branch of Bloody Brook from Electronic Park. General Electric owned this site between 1949 and 1993. It was transferred to Martin Marietta, the predecessor to Lockheed Martin.

General Electric used cadmium in the manufacturing of television picture tubes. The course of the brook channel was modified five times between 1944 and 1978. The modifications occurred as part of Thruway construction, construction of homes and construction of the former Lakeshore Drive-In Theater. Prior to 1938, the area was used for agriculture with some wooded areas and some homes.

Lockheed Martin was given permission by the DEC in January to begin taking down trees within the wooded area of the site. Excavation is expected to begin in spring or early summer, following NYSDEC approval of the design documents, Ratan said.

Residents in the Bloody Brook area were informed of tree removal and start of the project in February. Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicotra said Lockheed Martin has continued to update the town during the entire process.

"They've been in constant contact with us," Nicotra said. "They are starting to clear out trees now. This is a very good thing."

Lockheed Martin's goal was to start cleaning up Bloody Brook in 2010 but the project has stalled because more testing was needed. Since the project was delayed, about 615 samples were collected and analyzed, Ratan said.

"The results of the samples did not significantly change the area proposed for excavation," Ratan said. "Certain areas were able to be reduced in size, while some small additional areas were added. Also, the results allowed us to decrease the depths to which we have to remove soil in certain areas since cadmium was not detected at a level that required removal."

Lockheed Martin is commencing the construction portion of the project with DEC oversight, according to Stephanie Harrington, of the DEC. Activities include excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and sediment. Clean fill will be brought in to replace the excavated soil and sediment.

"Similar to any construction work, heavy equipment, such as bulldozers and backhoes, will be used," Harrington said. "Residents will be advised to stay clear of construction areas due to the heavy equipment and be cautious around construction vehicles, such as dump trucks, on the roads."

How did Blood Brook get its name?

It is a little unclear how the brook got its name.

Liverpool Historian Dorianne Gutierrez told The Post-Standard in 2011 that there is no evidence that a battle took place near the brook, but there is evidence to suggest that a 19th century brickyard was near the brook.

"I can't find anything else that may have colored the water, " Gutierrez said. "I've never found historical evidence of a battle or a slaughterhouse, but I suppose either is possible."